Toggle switch



Nov. 22, 1932- a-l. w. t'aATcHELLx-:

TOGGLE SWITCH Filpd Sept. l1. 3.931

n@ d??? @y Patented Nov. 22, 1932 PATENT OFFICE HUGH W., BATCHELLEB, O1?WORCESTER, IASSACHUSFITS TOGGLE SWITCH Application iled September 1L1931.

@i the accompanying drawing formingl aA is part oi tbis specification,-

Figure l is a front view of a switch ein the invention Figure 2 a rearview Figure an edge view., n liigiure is a section on line fir-4 of Fig-L 2 i igure in' a section on line 5-5 of Figure 27 showing tire on7adjustment of the re i5 an enlargement of a portion oi a e i? siiowingthe nii adgustnientq ie'ure i is a pempective view or the nand is a rearview ont a differently i embodying tbe invention an edge view partly insection oli tno Itch shown by Figure lil so l2 a section on line i2l2of?? d Tire same reference characters indicate tbe same parts all of theiiguresn casing portion of the switch shown by s@ Figures l to 6,inclusive, is composed of two members9 vin i' a sheet metal front memberincluding a central facing 12 having a lever receiving orifice 17, andinsulator attaching means projecting inwardly from said facingg and a.one-piece insulating member or insulator 13 engaged with said attachingmeans and spaced thereby from the facing 12.

The attaching means is preferably integral with tbe facing, and in thisinstance is embodied in ears 'la bent inward from the oppo Serial No.562,232..

site edges of the facing, and seated on the insulator, and spacing thelatter from the fac ing, and prongs 1:5 integral with the ears 14 andinserted in slots in the insulator and clinched on the inner sidethereofn The casing may be attached to a wall or other support byintegral extensions or ears 16, on the acing 12.

The facing l2 and the insulator attaching means when integral with eachother may be 6o made in one piece which is so formed that it may bestamped froml sheet metal, and is adapted to engage a one-pieceinsulator,

The insulator is provided with an orilice 1 8 alined with the orifice 1iiu the facing 12, c5 and is also provided with terminals 24 and 25insulated from eaob otherand attached to the insulator by screws 2d Theterminals are separated by a gap within tbe orice i8.. The terminal. 24bas an end portion 24a pr@ 70 jecting into tlie critico i8? and tbetermina-l 25 bas a resilient end portion 25a also pro jecting into saidoriiice, cacio 'terminal baving prongs :'28 inserted in insulator andclinched on tbe inner side iitiereo The facing orifice l@ aoguiar andpreferably square.J as ubest shown by Figure l@ designates a preerablyonefpiece switch lever insuising material suoli as balielite o Saidlever entends tiiroangie.9 is oscillatto able in orioe i8 and has anangular cross section conforming to the angular margin oi said oriiicewso that tire liever is prevented from turning on its longitudinal axisin said orioe9 and tbereiore can oscillate only in a se predeterminedpatio..

Tire lever i9 is provided with preferably integral iulcrum stads 2@projecting from 'two oi its opposite sides, and in rocking con tact"with the inner side of the facing l2. Said projections are so arrangedthat the lever bas a longer outer arm and a shorter inner arm, as bestshown by Figure 'L The lever has a longitudinal guiding recess 22extending tlirougb tbe shorter arm and into the longer arm, the ulcrumstuds 20 being wholly on the exterior of the lever so that the recessextends between said studs into the longer arm.,

A gap bridging conductor 21, preferably a 10 metal ball, is movable inthe recess 22. An elongated helical spring 23 is seated on the inner endof the 'ding recess and presses the conductor against both of theterminals 24 and 25 to close the ga when the lever is in the positionshown by igure 5,and against the terminal 25 to leave .the gap oien whenthe lever is in the position shown by igure 6.

The described elongation of the guiding orifice 22 permits acorresponding elongation of the sprm 23, so that t e spring reacts onthe inner en of said guiding orifice when the conductor bears on either,or both of the terminals, with suicient force to hold the fulcrum studs20 firmly against the inner side of the facin 12, and thereby preventany possibility o loose movement of the lever.

The casing portion of the switch shown by Figs. 10, 11 and 12 is alsocomposed of two members, one being a preferably one-piece sheet metalmember, and the other a onepiece insulator. Said casing portion isadapted to be detachably secured to a su port such as the dash of anautomobile, an v used, for example,for controlling a circuit whichoperates a dome li ht or a cigar lighter.

yIn this embo iment of the invention the insulator attaching means ispreferably integral with the facing (here designated by 120) and isembodied in a base pre erably integral with and surrounding said facing.

Said base includes a marginal portion 121 having a fiat inner side onwhich the insulator 130 bears, as shown b Figure 12, a rim portion 123bearing on t e margin of the insulator, and ears or prongs 124 on therim portion bent inwardly upon the outer side of the insulator. l Anannular portion 122 of the sheet metal of which the facing and base areformed, oisets the base portion 121 from the facing 120.

The base portion 121 is provided with an i extension'12la (Fig. 11)projecting above the insulator and constituting a fixed clamping jawadapted to bear on one side of the support a, and adapted also tosupport the bracket next described.

Said bracket includes an inner end member `127 bearing on the extension121@ and held :againstA the latter by the rim portion 123, and ears 128(Figs. 10 and 11) formed thereon andjbent over the outer side of saidbracket member. An arm portion 126 of the bracket member projects asshown by Figure 11, and has an ear 129 at its outer end containing atapped orifice. A clamping screw 125 is engaged with the ear, and isadapted tobear on the opposite side of the support a, said screwconstituting another clamping jaw. A s

Downwaid displacement of the bracket from the position shown by Figures10 and 11 is prevented by two of the ears 124, the

under side of the arm member 126 bearing on l said ears.

The last described embodiment is provided with the terminals 24 and 25,the switch lever A19, the conductor 21, and the spring 23, all

insulator engaged with said attaching means and spaced thereby from thefacing, said insulator having an orifice alined with the facing orifice;terminals attached to the insulator and separated from each other by agap adjacent the insulator orifice, a onepiece switch lever extendingthrough and oscillatable in the facing plate orifice and having anangular cross section conforming to the angular margin of said orifice,whereby the lever is prevented from turning on its longitudinal axis insaid orifice, said lever having fulcrum studs projecting from two of itsopposite sides and in rocking contact with the inner side of the facing,said projections being so arranged that the lever has a longer outer armand a shorter inner arm, the lever having a longitudinal guiding recessextending through the shorter arm between said fulcrum studs and intothe longer arm, a gap-bridging conductor movable in said recess, and anelongated helical spring seated on the inner end of said guiding recessand pressing the conductor against the terminals, and the fulcrum studsagainst the inner side of the facing, the lever being movable to causethe conductor to close and open the gap between the terminals.

2. A toggle switch as specified by claim 1. said facing and insulatorattaching means being made in one piece from sheet metal.

A toggle switch as specified by claim l. said lever and its fulcrumstuds being made in one piece from insulating material.

toggle switch as specified by claim l, said insulator attaching meansincluding a clamping jaw portion having means for securing a bracketmember thereto.

i In testimony whereof I have ailixed my signature.

Y yHUGH W. BATCHELLER.

